Injectable Fillers And Neurotoxins
Dermal Fillers and Neuromodulators
Lines, wrinkles, areas of volume loss — we all have them. Blame declining collagen production as we age. Blame thinning skin. Blame hundreds of thousands of muscle contractions. Blame the ever-present Louisiana sun.
But you don’t have to put up with those signs of facial aging. Dr. Smith offers a variety of injectables — neuromodulators like Botox® and dermal fillers like Juvéderm® Voluma and Restylane® Refyne and Defyne. They’ll erase your wrinkles and return volume to areas such as the cheeks.
Here’s what we offer. Click on each heading to link to the more detailed individual pages. You can also give us a call today at (337) 477-0011 to schedule a one-on-one consultation with Dr. Shondra Smith and learn whether you are a candidate for treatment!
Botox® is an injectable classified as a neuromodulator. Because it is made primarily from the botulinum toxin type A, it sounds kind of scary. Not so. Way back in the 1950s scientists discovered that if a tiny amount of the toxin was injected into a muscle, it temporarily stopped that muscle from contracting. This proved instantly intriguing as a medical treatment for issues with involuntary muscle spasms. In fact, that turned out to be the first FDA approval for Botox® — for the treatment of involuntary eyelid spasms (blepharospasm) in 1989.
But Botox® became a household name in 2002. That was the year the FDA approved Botox® for aesthetic use, removing frown lines and forehead lines. The FDA added crow’s feet approval in 2013, although it had been used off-label for years before that.
Botox® works by blocking the acetylcholine, the nerve messengers, in muscles. When injected into a muscle, the botulinum toxin blocks the nerve messages sent from the muscle to the brain. The brain never receives the message to contract the muscle, so the muscle stays relaxed and the wrinkle on the surface skin doesn’t form.
Dysport® is also a neuromodulator. It is made primarily from the botulinum toxin type A, just like Botox. Dysport® works in the same fashion as Botox®, by temporarily relaxing the muscles it is injected into, which stops wrinkles from forming on the skin above. Dysport® has subtle differences from Botox, and that’s why Dr. Smith offers both neuromodulators for our patients from Lake Charles and the surrounding areas.
The FDA approved Dysport® for cosmetic use for the treatment of frown lines and forehead wrinkles on May 1, 2009.
The original dermal filler is Restylane®, which was approved by the FDA for use in the U.S. in 2006. Restylane®, along with Juvéderm®, are the world’s most popular dermal fillers. Dr. Smith offers four fillers from the Restylane® line — Restylane®, Restylane® Kysse, Restylane® Defyne, and Restylane® Refyne.
Restylane® fillers are classified as natural fillers because they made primarily from hyaluronic acid, a naturally occurring substance in the human body whose job is to hydrate, plump, and firm the skin. When a Restylane® filler is injected beneath a crease, such as a nasolabial fold, the hyaluronic acid binds with nearby water molecules, adding volume and plumping the skin. This erases or substantially decreases the wrinkle.
Dr. Smith also offers one filler from the Juvéderm® line, Juvéderm® Voluma XC. Voluma is also a “natural” dermal filler made from hyaluronic acid. Voluma isn’t meant for erasing lines or wrinkles; it is intended to add volume to flattened, sunken cheeks. The clinical term is “age-related midface volume loss.” Where our young cheeks are plump and somewhat round, our older cheeks are flat and, in many cases, hollow. This is due to collagen loss, along with the unending pull of gravity. Juvéderm® Voluma XC is formulated to add volume beneath the skin’s surface to lift and contour the cheek area. It returns the plumpness that is a tenet of more youthful cheeks.
Are injectables safe? What are the side effects?
The FDA has approved all the injectables we use at Shondra Smith Dermatology & Advanced Aesthetics. To gain their approvals, each had to submit rigorous testing as to the effectiveness and safety of each product. Our injectables have been injected millions of times around the world, and they have proven to be safe and effective. That explains why Botox® injections have been the single most performed cosmetic treatment, surgical or non-surgical, every year since it was first approved for cosmetic use in 2002.
The general side effects with any of these injectables is slight redness and possible swelling at the injection sites. That typically passes in a few hours.
With dermal fillers, there is a slight chance of the formation of some lumps. If that happens, however, it’s easy to address. The injection of an enzyme, hyaluronidase, instantly neutralizes the hyaluronic acid in Juvéderm and Restylane, removing the lump or lumps.
The biggest risk with any of these injectables is with neuromodulators such as Botox. If they are injected into an incorrect muscle, this can cause issues such as a drooping eyelid. That’s why you never want to have Botox® or Dysport® injected by someone in a nail salon. Dr. Smith is a board-certified dermatologist with extensive knowledge of facial anatomy and extensive experience with Botox® and our other injectables.
Who is a candidate for dermal fillers or neuromodulators?
Whether dermal fillers or neuromodulators are the answer for you depends on the wrinkles or lines you’re seeking to address. If your wrinkles occur on the mid to lower face, these are “static wrinkles.” Smile lines (running from the nose down to the corners of the mouth), marionette lines (running from the corners of the mouth downwards), parentheses lines (framing the sides of the mouth), and barcode lines (vertical lines on the lips) are all examples of static wrinkles. Dermal fillers will erase these wrinkles.
However, if the wrinkles and lines you seek to remove are on the upper third of your face, dermal fillers aren’t the way to go. Wrinkles on the upper third of the face occur due to muscle contractions under the skin when we make expressions such as frowning or showing surprise. After hundreds of thousands of these contractions, coupled with thinning skin, wrinkles start to form on the surface skin when these expressions are made. These are crow’s feet at the outside of the eyes, the 11s between the eyebrows, and forehead lines. Neuromodulators are used to erase these wrinkles, known as “dynamic wrinkles.” When injected, the neuromodulator relaxes the muscle so the wrinkle on the surface skin doesn’t form. Dermal fillers have no effect on dynamic wrinkles, just as neuromodulators don’t work on static wrinkles on the lower face.
Schedule Your Dermal Fillers Consultation In Lake Charles, LA!
For more information on our injectable fillers and neurotoxins or to schedule an appointment today, call Dr. Smith at (337) 477-0011 for a personalized consultation! You can also click here to fill out the appointment request form in our contact page. Our practice serves Lake Charles, and the surrounding areas of Louisiana.
